The 7 best free online strategy games you have to play

It’s often the case that when someone hears the words “free game” they’ll assume it’s either utter garbage or totally unplayable without spending a fortune on microtransactions (or both). And putting the words ‘online strategy’ in-between free and game can potentially make the whole thing sound worse. The reality is, of course, that there are some excellent free games out there, particularly ones in the online strategy genre.

Now, online strategy can be a bit of an ambiguous term. For the sake of this list, it covers both MOBAs and classic strategy games that really excel when played online against others. And they all have to be free, naturally. Some may come with microtransactions, but as long as they don’t fall into the pay-to-win category, they’ll meet the requirements.

So, from cards, to space, to fantasy worlds, here are the seven best free online strategy games you just have to play.